dunnock

American  

[duhn-uhk] / ˈdʌn ək /

noun

British.

1. hedge sparrow.

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dunnock British  

/ ˈdʌnək /

noun

1. another name for hedge sparrow

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Etymology

Origin of dunnock

First recorded in 1425–75, dunnock is from the late Middle English word dunoke, donek. See dun ², -ock

Example Sentences

In fall 2021, they studied common redstart, chaffinch and dunnock on Helgoland, an island off the German coast along the North Sea that is a popular stopover for birds on the move each autumn.

From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2023

We have a pair of dunnock, two robins and at least one wren.

From The Guardian • Apr. 30, 2020

Once called the hedge sparrow, the dunnock is dark greyish-purple and brown, with a thin bill.

From The Guardian • Apr. 16, 2020

You could be a dunnock, a bird whose females practice polyandry, taking on two or three husbands when food is scarce.

From New York Times • May 10, 2013

First came all the small birds in the immediate neighbourhood—robin, dunnock, wagtail, chaffinch, throstle, blackbird, and blue and ox-eye tits.

From Birds in Town and Village by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)